Shadows and Flames
by Fourplay
Summary: "If the butterfly wings its way to the sweet light that attracts it, it's only becasue it doesn't know that the fire can consume it." A collection of NaTsubasa drabbles, and an unspoken love that burns. #05: Promise. [COMPLETE]
1. Puzzle

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gakuen Alice.

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**Shadows and Flames**

_"If the butterfly wings its way to the sweet light that attracts it,  
it's only becasue it doesn't know that the fire can consume it."_

A collection of NaTsubasa drabbles, and an unspoken love that burns.

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**Puzzle**

Mikan Sakura stared up at the boy in front of her, flashing him a small smile she hoped looked genuine. Calling the fifteen-year-old Natsume Hyuuga as her Last Dance was not turning out to be as dreamy as she had imagined it would be.

The brunette inwardly cursed herself when she stepped on his foot for the nth time in this three-minute dance, wondering what sort of devil must have possessed her and gave her enough courage to call him that evening. She shouldn't have believed everyone when they told her he liked her _back _ – of course they were just being encouraging when they said that!

Mikan gave a sheepish grin, lifting her chin so she could look at Natsume squarely. "Err, Natsume – " she started, noting the detachment in his expression as they continued their disastrous dance. It was almost a surprise he was not complaining or calling her names. The look in his eyes was blank, like his mind was off somewhere else. "You don't have to do this, you know. I mean if you don't want to dance – "

"It's fine. Let's just finish this song," he said, making Mikan's heart soar. Over the years, she had come to realize that there was more to Natsume Hyuuga than met the eye, and it was the small gestures like these that ended up seizing the young brunette's heart.

"O-Okay," she murmured, blinking twice in succession when she felt Natsume go rigid not long after. She looked up at him, noting the grim expression on his face, and turned in the direction where he was looking at.

_Hello!_ Tsubasa Andou mouthed cheerfully, giving a slight wave of his hand from his place in the audience. He was smiling at them both, seemingly amused by their dance.

Mikan could only return smile, barely able to take her eyes off her feet for fear that she would step on Natsume again. The next two minutes seemed to last forever as she felt Natsume's temper worsen, as if he was immensely displeased by the older man's arrival.

"Tsubasa-senpai!" Mikan greeted, running to the older alice as soon as the dance was finished. The master of the shadows enthusiastically welcomed her into his arms, easily lifting her as if she weighed nothing. "I'm so glad you could come!"

"Yes, well, being away from the Academy for a long time made me miss it," he grinned. "Graduating from this place isn't all that, it turns out."

Mikan giggled. "Is that so?" she asked, only to stop when she saw Natsume walk past them and into the crowd of people a bit far off. She followed him with her gaze, her smile slowly disappearing. "Natsume…"

As if on cue, Tsubasa put her down, his concerned eyes on the Black Cat. "Do you mind if I leave you for a while? I need to talk to Natsume," he said, sounding rather panicked.

Mikan blinked, a small voice in her head telling her that something was wrong. But in the end the understanding girl in her won, and instead she smiled. "Of course," she said kindly, giving a slight nod. "I'll be okay."

She watched Tsubasa run after Natsume hastily, and wondered why it felt like she was a piece in a puzzle that didn't fit.

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_**end.**_

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**Hilaire | 05.12.13**


	2. Slave

Remember the genie episode? ;)

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**Slave**

Natsume looked at the brunette accompanying him and Ruka, irritably watching her fawn over the pink howalons they found in Central Town. "That stupid mind reader," he grumbled under his breath.

That earned him a curious glance from his best friend. "You really wanted to make Tsubasa Andou your slave, huh?"

Natsume shoved a hand in his pocket, and used the free one to pull the brunette by the hair. "Of course I did," he said, unmindful of Mikan's outraged protests as he dragged her with him to the next stall, pulling just a little harder as he remembered how intimate she and Tsubasa had been.

"The only reason I played was to enslave that bastard."

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_**end.**_

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**Hilaire | 05.20.13**


	3. Partners

Not canon, but that's the good thing about fan fiction.

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**Partners**

"This is Tsubasa Andou. He will be your partner in your first year here in Alice Academy."

The nine-year-old Natsume Hyuuga looked up at the dark-haired man in front of him, glaring at the star tattoo below his left eye. "I don't need a partner," he muttered grimly once they were alone. Without further ado, he turned on his heel to take his leave, unsure why anyone would think that he couldn't manage to survive this school on his own.

_I've survived a world worse than this._

He was barely five steps away from the boy called Tsubasa when he felt his entire body go rigid, as if paralyzed by an invisible force. The next thing he realized was the other student walking up to him with a lazy grin.

"Sorry, Natsume," the master of the shadows said, his feet holding the boy's shadow in place, "but we are partners." He pinched the younger man's cheeks, much to the flame caster's chagrin.

"Let's get along well, shall we?"

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_**end.**_

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**Hilaire | 05.25.13**


	4. Freedom

**Freedom**

"You tried escaping?"

Natsume puffed his cheeks, sulking as he felt Tsubasa dab his wounds with alcohol. "Dammit, Andou, will it hurt you to be careful?" he snapped.

Tsubasa didn't even look up from his seat on the floor, carefully wrapping the younger student's wrist with a bandage. "You brought this upon yourself, you idiot," he said. "I told you to stop trying to escape."

The flame caster shifted on the bed, glaring down at him. "You know how much I hate this place."

Tsubasa looked up, the sudden coldness in his eyes almost alarming. "And if the price of freedom is your life?"

Natsume stared into those haunting pair of blues, his gaze falling on his now bandaged wrist, where Tsubasa was holding him tightly, furiously – as if not willing to let go.

The alice of the fire narrowed his eyes. "Yes," he murmured darkly, before prying Tsubasa's grip off him. "I'd be willing to pay it – even if that's the price of freedom."**  
**

Sometimes he wondered if freedom should hurt this much.

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_**end.**_

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**Hilaire | 05.25.13**


	5. Promise

It was never my intention to draw this out so long. Thank you for reading. :)

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**Promise**

"You're an idiot."

"I know."

Natsume put down his book so he could concentrate at the glaring at the older boy in front of him. "Are you really trying to piss me off?"

Tsubasa had the audacity to grin. "Yes, and I think I'm succeeding." He had just finished informing the Black Cat that he opted to go to the mission in Underground Tokyo – a dangerous assignment he was _not_ required to go.

Natsume huffed. "It's not my problem if you have a death wish."

Tsubasa lowered himself to a crouch so that he was staring squarely at Natsume. "Oh? You won't be bothered at all if I die?"

"_NO_."

Tsubasa only laughed. "That's fine. I don't have intention of dying anyway." He pinched Natsume's cheek, much to the boy's mortification. "So wait for me, all right?"

The next thing the master of the flames realized was Tsubasa's lips descending on his own, sealing his promise with a kiss.

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_**shadows and flames.**_

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Cheers to AoGAHC13, and cheers to NaTsubasa.

**Hilaire | 05.25.13**


End file.
